CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kemba Walker had 31 points, and the Marco Belinelli and Frank Kaminsky took over in the fourth quarter as the Charlotte Hornets preserved their slim playoff hopes with a 122-114 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
The Hornets shot 17 for 26 on 3-pointers, including 7 for 12 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte made 16 3s in a win earlier this season over the Nuggets.
Charlotte trailed by eight entering the fourth, but scored 12 straight points to take control. Walker ignited the run with a long 3-pointer and then scored on a drive and drew a foul. Kaminsky, who had 22 points, and Belinelli each had three 3s in the fourth quarter as Charlotte outscored Denver 36-20 to essentially save its season.
In the meantime the Hornets dealt a severe blow to Denver’s playoff chances. Both teams entered the game on the outside of the postseason bubble. Charlotte was 2 1/2 games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Nuggets were 1 1/2 out of the eighth spot in the West.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Kenneth Faried had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Jokic, who had 31 points in the last meeting, was dominant for most of the night as the Nuggets outscored the Hornets 52-32 in the paint. But Jokic was neutralized in the fourth quarter as the Hornets started knocking down 3s, forcing the Nuggets into comeback mode and scrambling for quick shots.
Nuggets: Denver made 9 of 19 3s in the first half. ... Mason Plumlee had a chance to play against his brother Miles Plumlee.
Hornets: Walker became the second player in team history to scored 8,000 career points when he made a 3-pointer early in the first quarter. The only other player to reach that mark is Dell Curry (9,839), the father of the Warriors’ Steph Curry. ... Walker’s 52 20-point games this season ranks third in team history.
Nuggets: At Miami on Sunday night. The Hornets would surely appreciate the Nuggets getting a win there.
Hornets: The road doesn’t get any easier as they travel to Oklahoma City to face the Russell Westbrook and the Thunder.
